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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cue — a signal
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. content — the amount
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cell — in biology
  9. fork — in a road
  10. staff — employees
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hand — help
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cell — a phone
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. charge — in control
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. charge — a price
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. charge — electricity
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com